Regional patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N for European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

• Published in: Royal Society Open Science
• Main Authors: David Wells, R. J., Rooker, Jay R., Addis, Piero, Arrizabalaga, Haritz, Baptista, Miguel, Bearzi, Giovanni, Fraile, Igaratza, Lacoue-Labarthe, Thomas, Meese, Emily N., Megalofonou, Persefoni, Rosa, Rui, Sobrino, Ignacio, Sykes, Antonio V., Villanueva, Roger
• Other Authors: LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-03708695; https://insu.hal.science/insu-03708695/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-03708695/file/rsos.210345.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210345

International audience Stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen (expressed as δ 13 C and δ 15 N) from the European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) were measured in order to evaluate the utility of using these natural tracers throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (NEAO-MS). Mantle tissue was obtained from S. officinalis collected from 11 sampling locations spanning a wide geographical coverage in the NEAO-MS. Significant differences of both δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were found among S. officinalis samples relative to sampling location. δ 13 C values did not show any discernable spatial trends; however, a distinct pattern of lower δ 15 N values in the Mediterranean Sea relative to the NEAO existed. Mean δ 15 N values of S. officinalis in the Mediterranean Sea averaged 2.5‰ lower than conspecifics collected in the NEAO and showed a decreasing eastward trend within the Mediterranean Sea with the lowest values in the most eastern sampling locations. Results suggest δ 15 N may serve as a useful natural tracer for studies on the population structure of S. officinalis as well as other marine organisms throughout the NEAO-MS.